Sucker feeder for a printing press



United States Patent Inventors Jaroslav Janecek Brno; Frantisek Vidensky, Blansko, Czechoslovakia App]. No. 768,678

Filed Oct. 18, 1968 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Assignee Adamovske strojirny narodni podnik,

Blansko, Czechoslovakia SUCKER FEEDER FOR A PRINTING PRESS 3 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

U.S. Cl 271/26 Int. Cl B65h 3/08 Field of Search 271/2627;

10 l/(no search suggested) [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,986,392 5/1961 Buttner 271/26 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Attorney-Richard Low u L\\ \\H J 0 g) Patented Nov. 10, 1970 I N VEN TORS SUCKER FEEDER FOR A PRINTING PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sheet feeder units for printing presses, and particularly to sucker feeders which are adjustable transversely of the movement of the fed sheets.

The sucker feeders of known feeder units are either fixedly mounted on a common tubular support and distributed over the width of the press, or adjustable on a fixed support. Fixed sucker feeders may not properly guide the edge portions of sheets and cause defects in the printed work. The known adjustable sucker feeders are individually connected to the vacuum line of the press by rubber tubing having relatively heavy walls. The tubing materially increases the weight of the movable portion of the feeder unit. The resulting relatively high inertia of the movable portion limits the speed at which the press may be operated.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a sheet feeder unit with laterally adjustable sucker feeders which is light in weight and therefore does not unfavorably affect the maximum operating speed of the press.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved feeder unit of the invention has a tubular member which envelops an elongated supporting member extending transversely of the movement of the fed sheets. The tubular member and the supporting member define a conduit elongated in the direction of sucker feeder adjustment and sealed by two sealing elements longitudinally spaced on the tubular member. The sucker feeder includes a nozzle fastened to the tubular member for movement therewith on the supporting member and communicating with the aforementioned conduit. The supporting member is hollow and formed with a bore connecting the conduit with the hollow interior thereof which is connected to a suction mechanism for drawing air into the nozzle.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, the sole figure shows a sheet feeder unit of the invention for a printing press in front elevational fragmentary section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawing shows only as much of the sheet feeder unit t of an otherwise conventional printing press as in needed for an understanding of this invention. The unit has at least three sucker feeders of which only one is seen in the drawing. The body I of the illustrated feeder is sealed to one end of a tube 2 whose other end fixedly carries an annular collar 3. Sealing rings 4 in the body 1 of the sucker feeder and in the collar 3 axially seal an annular conduit mainly bounded by the tube 2 and a coaxial, hollow, cylindrical supporting rod 6. The illustrated sucker feeder is axially or longitudinally movable on the rod 6 and may be fastened in a selected position by means of a set screw 5 threadedly received in the body 1 and engaging the rod 6.

A suction head or nozzle 7 is vertically movable in a downwardly open recess of the body 1. The nozzle 7 sealingly engages the vertical walls of the recess and is normally held in the illustrated position by a helical spring 11. A duct 8 in the body 1 connects the recess portion behind the nozzle 7 with the annular conduit 10. The latter communicates with the hollow interior of the rod 6 through a radial bore 9 in the rod. A nipple 12 mounted on the end of the rod 6 is normally connected with a vacuum line on the printing press by a nonillustrated flexible hose. The rod 6 and the sucker feeders mounted thereon are moved as needed in the printing cycle by a bracket 13.

It will be understood that the illustrated structure, except the nipple 12, is duplicated in mirror image at the other end of the rod 6, and that a third sucker feeder is mounted near the center of the rod. The third feeder may be fixed on the rod 6, if so desired, and lack the tube 2, collar 3, and associated elements.

The illustrated sucker feeder and its nonillustrated counterpart on the other end of the rod 6 are set for the width of the paper sheets to be handled, the conduit 10 being of a length sufficient to communicate with the bore 9 in all required positions of the sucker feeder. As long as the nozzle 7 is not closed by a sheet of paper, air flows through the nozzle, the duct 8, the conduit 10, the bore 9, the hollow interior of the rod 6, and the nipple 12 to the suction line of the press. when it is desired to operate with only two of the available three sucker feeders, the third one is shifted on the rod 6 until the bore 9 is out of range of the conduit 10 and effectively sealed by the body 1. The latter is secured by means of the set screw 5 in a position in which the screw either seals the bore 9 or clamps the body 1 tightly against the orifice of the bore.

We claim:

1. In a sheet feeder unit for a printing press having a supporting member elongated transversely of the movement of the fed sheets and a feeder sucker longitudinally adjustable on said supporting member, the improvement which comprises:

a. a tubular member enveloping said supporting member and defining therewith a conduit elongated in the direction of sucker feeder adjustment; adjustable fastening means for securing said tubular member selectively along said supporting member;

b. two sealing means longitudinally spaced on said tubular member for sealing said conduit;

1. said sucker feeder including a nozzle fastened to said tubular member for movement therewith on said supporting member and communicating with said conduit;

2. said supporting member being hollow and formed with a bore connecting said conduit with the hollow interior of the tubular member; and

c. suction means connected to said hollow interior for drawing air into said nozzle.

2. In a unit as set forth in claim 1, said supporting member being of cylindrical shape and having a longitudinal axis, said tubular member being coaxial with said supporting member, and said conduit being annular about the common axis of said supporting member and of said tubular member.

3. The unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said nozzle is movably secured within said tubular member and is provided with resilient biasing means normally urging the nozzle radially outward thereof but permitting radial inward movement of the nozzle when engaging the sheets. 

